To begin

I am installing beds all around the perimeter of my house. Last year I didn't worry much about pest control, etc. but this year I am sure I will need to know the basics. I need a fungicide and a pesticide? What do you all recommend as a good all purpose product of each?

My personal preference for pesticides (inclduing fungicides and insecticides) is to only use what is absolutely needed when it's needed - no preemptive strikes. (Except for termite protection ;o)

When installling beds around the house, you want to keep the plants away from the foundation (both now and as they grow) for a couple reasons - the health of the plant (good airflow, plus the soil is usually crummy as you get near the pier footings) and you want to maintain a "dry zone" near the foundation for termite prevention, so you don't want to be keeping roots moist right next to the foundation. Someone might be able to give you a better answer, but I would focus on selecting good plants for the site, giving them good soil as they're planted, and keeping them healthy through good horticultural practices.

Thanks Terry! I'm so worried that I will mess up the design and it will look stupid. Any tips on this?

It all depends on what you want your beds to look like, and factors such as the orientation (north/south/east/west), and the corresponding sun/shade that the bed receives.

When I've suggested landscaping plans for others, I try to remember that it's usually worth the extra $$ to buy larger shrubs - at least 3 gallon or 5 gallon size plants - whenever possible. You're not looking for full-grown specimens, but the "bargain" plants (quart and gallon size) look skimpy and scrawny, and tend to take longer to take off (in my experience, anyway.)

I don't care for the standard row of boxwoods or yews or photinias, but usually opt for a mix of deciduous and evergreen shrubs - favorites include Oakleaf hydrangeas, deciduous hydrangeas, redtwig dogwoods physocarpus, viburnums, japanese maples, and azaleas - they tend to provide year-round interest and each provides nice flower color at different times of the year.)

Plan for the plants to reach their full height and width when you buy and plant - they may look sparse for a few years (remember, bigger shrubs won't look *quite* as scrawny as smaller ones), and plant them in groupings of 3, 5 or more. (I tend to go for masses of 3 or 5 rounded form shrubs, broken up with something different that provides vertical interest and different leaf form, especially when you can coincide these "exclamation points" with juts and jigs in your house's footprint - bay windows, corners, rooms that jut out, etc.)

For specific ideas, I'd suggest you post some pictures in the landscape forum - post your "future beds" along with descriptions of sun/shade for each, and what style you like (formal, country, cottage-y), etc.